How Abiola was betrayed —Adefuye

In this interview with Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, Senator Anthony Ogungbemi Adefuye, an All Progressives Congress (APC), chieftain, assesses Nigeria’s political dilemma and reveals how the late MKO Abiola was betrayed. Excepts

As you celebrate your 69th birthday this weekend, what would you say has changed between the time you were young and now, especially the way politics is played?

When I was younger, I would not say I understood clearly the way politics was played then. But all I can remember is that people were godly, kind and honest then and so we had good time growing up. We went to school and were taught by good and dedicated teachers. We were happy growing up. It coincided with the time politics had become part of Nigeria.

So, we grew into democracy and people thought there would be a change for the better. But unfortunately, the first democracy we had, during the Shehu Shagari era, was a bad era. Since then, each time there was a military take over and we all hoped for a change for a new beginning. But unfortunately, each of the new beginning had always been worse and worse. The military only wanted to change uniform.

Where did we miss it as a nation? Can you pinpoint where we missed it?

If I want to talk about where we missed it, it will take a whole day. I will therefore prefer to talk about some new and positive developments in Nigeria.

One of it is the registration of the new mega party, All Progressives Congress (APC), which we believe will challenge the PDP. With this development, we are moving towards two party system as happened in Europe and America, where there are just two major political parties.

Also in recent time, we are witnessing a situation where some northern governors are supporting southern presidential aspirants and some southern governors are supporting northern presidential aspiarnts. That is also a new development that I consider positive. It shows that people are beginning to see beyond boundaries. Very soon, Nigerians will begin to emphasise the need for good people to emerge as elected leaders

But it seems the National Assembly itself is not performing it’s functions properly. As a former senator, do you think this National Assembly is doing what it should do in our present our present circumstance?

There are a lot of cash and carry at the National Assembly now. When we were in the National Assembly, the civil servants paid our salaries. They just pay it into your account. We didn’t discuss salaries on the floor of the House. We had nothing to do with contracts. We just dealt with the law. But the National Assembly members are now involved with many oversight functions, which include awarding of contracts, which include what they call constituency projects. You cannot be awarding contracts and also be making laws at the same time. If you ask a lawmaker today he would tell you he must do it to deliver dividends of democracy, and after taking, say N40million in a quarter, he would go and buy two sewing machines and two pepper grinder and call in newsmen to record his delivery of dividends of democracy to the people. So, we are a sinking nation. I won’t say a condemned people.

This problem, does it not have something to do with the law, the constitution?

I do not accept the claim that it is the problem of existing laws because we were using almost the same laws when things were going on well. The problem now is that we have put the wrong people to operate the constitution.

Talking about wrong leaders, don’t you think it starts from the way party primaries are conducted here?

Yes, hardly do political parties conduct primaries now. That is one of the major problems we have and that is what is destroying PDP now. Since Chief Tony Anenih announced that the president, senators etc would return automatically, that was the beginning of the uproar. You don’t do such things. Anenih who announced it did not win his Edo constituency, did not win even his ward.

Do you think the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Dr. Attahiru Jega, has the capacity to bring in the new political era we are all expecting?

Well, if you had asked this question two weeks ago, I would have said yes. But two weeks ago, I saw Jega in Aso Rock. What was he doing there? A neutral umpire should not be going to Aso Rock up and down. They should come to him if they need anything. I am sure that INEC has enough independence now. Even funding, it has almost direct access to its funds. So, what was he looking for in Aso Rock? We have to be very careful. He is a respected Nigerian, who people expect to deliver and he has improved on the past. But we still need a lot of improvements. Nigerians really believe in Jega and I hope he would not disappoint us.

What specific reforms would you want in INEC?

I believe Nigerians should vote for whoever should lead INEC. He should not be an appointee of one man. The same thing should be applicable to the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He should be elected by Nigerians. That way, they will know they were elected just like Mr. President. Their loyalty will then be to the people and not to the almighty president.

So, you admit part of the problem is the law?

Yes, part of the problem is the law. The INEC must be completely neutral and if I were Jega, I would have laid off most people because most of the people in INEC have soiled their hands. Ordinary registration of a party has taken so long to announce that the party has been registered.

What is the solution to Nigeria’s political dilemma? Which structure will help the country to develop?

We have always craved to regionalize the Nigerian body. Before we had, the west, the east and the north. Now we have six zones. We can really have these six regional governments and have a weak centre, where what would connect us at the centre would be immigration, customs, military, currency and such like. This will work because it has worked before when we had the three regions. The earlier we do this, the better for Nigeria. The reason is this, these states are so independent that sometimes they go out of control. That is why there is Boko Haram in most of the states in the North-East. When Nasarawa State started this, we did not clip it in time. When the then Zanfara State governor, Yerima, said he wanted to Islamize his state, talking about Sharia, they would have declared a state of emergency in that state at that time and that would have checked everybody. Instead, some were saying every state has independence, they can do whatever they like. No, you cannot do whatever you like! They must be some limits on what you can do and what you cannot do. We are also saying local governments can do whatever they want. No! There must be some control somewhere. You cannot just tell the 778 local governments that they are on their own. No, it is not possible. Somebody must be in control. So, we need to, where necessary, amend the constitution.

Which specific areas do we need to amend?

I think we should create a Nigerian federation, and these six zones should become the federating units. Each of the six zones should have a Prime Minister and then we should have the President at the centre. If you like, you can create as many states and local governments as you like in your zone. It will reduce overhead and let each zone concentrate on the things they believe will favour them. You will also have a better union that way.

Haven said that, the ultimate is to have a unitary government as they have in America, where each federating unit will be encouraged to develop their areas of economic advantage: mining here, industry there, and agriculture the other place. That is the best form of government which our forefathers wanted to do at that time, the unitary government, but because of fear of tribalism, nepotism, etc, it could not survive. But a unitary government at the centre, with six regions should be our best system now.

With the registration of APC, there is the belief that Nigeria may be heading to a two party state. What do you think would be the effect of APC’s emergence to the polity?

I think the registration of APC is one of the best things that has happened to Nigerian politics in recent times. Now, we have two giant political parties, APC and PDP. These two parties envelope the whole of Nigeria, cut across the whole of Nigeria and so there would be healthy competition between the two parties. You now have alternative unlike before when it was just PDP and all the others were just regional parties. It is now as it was when we had SDP and NRC. It is a good development for Nigeria and it will improve our politics.

Talking about APC, there is fear by its critics as to whether the top leaders of the party, like General Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will agree on issues like presidential candidate and topmost leadership of the party?

You narrowed it down to two people: General Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

I can assure you that APC is more than that. APC is beyond those two leaders. Of course, we must acknowledge that those two were the two major people that brought about the fusion that gave birth to APC. Once there is a fusion, the party is beyond them. APC is now a very big party. It is not Buhari or Asiwaju’s party anymore. But people look up to them for good leadership, having brought about this fusion and I am sure they all have their good sides and we hope to tap those good sides from two of them to make a better party.

But Buhari has always wanted to be a civilian president. Is it possible for him to let go?

There is nothing that is impossible. He has said it several times that it is not a do or die affair but I think if Buhari says he doesn’t want to be president, Nigerians should start weeping.

Why?

Because we are going to have a good president in Buhari. I am convinced. He has demonstrated it before. He was chairman of Petroleum Trust Funds, we did not see any form of corruption or embezzlement, etc. He has shown himself as a good leader.

There is this impression that you are working for President Jonathan?

Who, me? I am an ACN, now APC man!

Critics said your plans for Jonathan was behind the Southern Leaders Forum project?

Southern Leaders Forum is an apolitical group. We are only interested in what happens in our region. If you have a president who is from your region, definitely, you will have sympathy for that person. Our Yoruba people say no matter how flat the bottom of your child is, you don’t put the chain on the bottom of another child. You wear the chain on your child. What we have said in Southern Nigerian People Assembly is that the constitution allows him to run again if his party allows him to run again, then he could be allowed to run, that was what we said.

In other words, you endorsed him for 2015 presidency?

No, we did not.

Your role in the negotiations for late MKO Abiola’s release from prison is still an issue. Did the Yoruba elders handle the matter well enough?

They were negotiating with MKO behind bars. When they were supposed to demand for his release and for the validation of June 12, they requested for the military to remain in power for three months and then organise a proper election. That was when they killed MKO and when we got to MKO’s house when he died, they attacked us because they were afraid we were going to talk.

Was that what happened sir? Because the rumour then was that you were attacked because you compromised?

How would I have compromised? I was not in government, I did not take any board appointment. In fact, General Diya is alive today, you ask him what happened and who they dreaded most? I was the most dreaded. I was the one they could not talk to. I was the one they wanted to kill. Compromised? They ruined my business. Aresco was classified as MKO’s company. The British government came to my house and gave me a visa and said they would give me asylum I did not leave. Compromised? I can show you a picture of those who went to Aso Rock receiving gratis, when their booths were being loaded with money. It is not yet time to talk. I didn’t want to talk at that time because I felt the Yoruba people have gone through a lot of troubles. I want to say to you that most of them did not want MKO to be president.

So, why were they after you?

You know that most of them went to the central party and I remained in UNCP and UNCP won most of the seats in the west. That was the anger. They thought my profile was rising above theirs. That was all and they wanted to kill me there. It was inside MKO’s house that I was attacked, not even outside. They were angry about the uproar and reception that greeted me when I arrived. So, when I got in, they asked Shofolowan to throw me out. Where have you seen older people arranging the burial of a younger person? Most of them sitting down there were older than Abiola. When Abiola sent s letters from prison, he sent to me and not to most of them. He listed the names of the 50 people he sent it to. They even refused to release my copy. I don’t want to talk yet. People were not just honest with MKO.